8 . 11 . 90 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 309 / 1 I (Acts whose publication is obligatory) COMMISSION REGULATION (EEC) No 3201 /90 of 16 October 1990 laying down detailed rules for the description and presentation of wines and grape musts THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, frequently been amended; whereas, in the interests of clarity, and on the occasion of further amendments, the rules in question should be consolidated; Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, Whereas, in applying rules concerning the description and presentation of wines, the traditional and customary practices of the Community wine-growing regions should Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 822/ 87 of be taken into account to the extent that the traditional and 16 March 1987 on the common organization of the market customary practices are compatible with the principles of a in wine ( 3 ), as last amended by Regulation ( EEC) single market; whereas it is also necessary to avoid any No 1325 / 90 ( 2 ), and in particular Articles 72 ( 5 ) and 81 confusion in the use of expressions employed in labelling thereof, and to ensure that the information on the label is as clear and complete as possible for the consumer; Whereas Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 2392/ 89 (3 ), as amended by Regulation ( EEC ) No 3886 / 89 (4), lays down Whereas, in order to allow the bottler some freedom as general rules for the description and presentation of wines regards the manner in which he presents the mandatory and grape musts; whereas implementing legislation must be information on wine labels, and to permit the use of adopted laying down specific and detailes rules in additional labels for all the mandatory information accordance with the principles defined therein and with required on imported wines, it should be laid down that those already established by Regulation (EEC) No 822/ 87 such information may be grouped together in the same field and Council Regulation (EEC) No 823 / 87 of 16 March of vision rather than on a single label; 1987 laying down special provisions relating to quality wines produced in specified regions ( s), as amended by Regulation ( EEC) No 2043 / 89 ( 6 ); Whereas certain terms and details have a commercial value or can contribute to the prestige of the product offered for Whereas Commission Regulation ( EEC ) No 997 / 81 of sale without being absolutely necessary; whereas the use of 26 March 1981 laying down detailed rules for the such terms should be permitted provided that they are description and presentation of wines and grape musts (7), justified and are not misleading as regards the quality of the as last amended by Regulation ( EEC) No 2776 / 90 (8 ), has product ; whereas, however, in view of the specific nature of certain of these terms, Member States should be empowered to limit the options offered by Community legislation to the parties concerned; 0 ) OJ No L 84 , 27.3.1987 , p. 1 . ( 2 ) OJ No L 132 , 23 . 5 . 1990 , p. 19. ( 3 ) OJ No L 232 , 9 . 8 . 1989, p. 13 . Whereas, to provide the consumer with better information ( 4 ) OJ No L 378 , 27 . 12 .. 1989, p. 12 . ( 5 ) OJ No L 84 , 27 . 3 . 1987, p. 59 . on the origin of wines made from a mixture of grapes or by ( 6 ) OJ No L 202 , 14. 7. 1989 , p. 1 . the coupage of products originating in several Member ( 7 ) OJN0LIO6 , 16 . 3 . 1981 , p. 1 . States, the height of the lettering to be used for the words ( 8 ) OJ No L 267 , 29 . 9 . 1990 , p . 30 . 'blend of wines from various countries of the European No L 309 / 2 Official Journal of the European Communities 8 . 11 . 90 Communities' should be specified; whereas the same should who actually bottled the wine for the account of the bottler apply to similar terms laid down for table wines which must be shown , provision must be made to ensure that this have been manufactured in a Member State other than that is done in clear and express terms; where the grapes were harvested; whereas appropriate provisions on the maximum height of the lettering should also be adopted to ensure that no confusion can arise between certain table wines entitled to a geographical Whereas the wording on the label relating to the name or ascription and quality wines produced in specific regions business name of the bottler, the consignor or a natural or (quality wines psr); legal person or group of such persons where such wording refers to an agricultural holding should be specified; Whereas in order to facilitate implementation of this Whereas , in order to prevent the consumer from being Regulation, a list of terms denoting superior quality in misled as to the country in which the product was bottled, imported wines and recognized by the Community in it is advisable to specify the official language or languages accordance with Article 26 ( 2) (c) of Regulation (EEC ) in which the particulars preceding the name and business No 2392/ 89 should be published; name of the bottler should be indicated on the label ; Whereas it is now compulsory for wine bottle labels to Whereas, so that the consumer may not be misled as indicate the Member State in which bottling was carried regards the origin of wine imported into the Community, it out ; whereas it should therefore be specified how this is to should no longer be possible to put on the label of an be done; whereas provision is made for certain information imported wine the translation of an expression designating to be given in the form of a code; whereas in order to a superior quality which is identicial to any designation in facilitate the updating and reading of these codes they German used in accordance with Community rules; should be determined by the Member State in which the bottler, consignor or importer has his registered place of business; Whereas the nominal volume of containers allowed for putting up wines and grape musts in intra-Community Whereas, to ensure that the information given to the trade is governed by Council Directive 75 / 106 /EEC of consumer is objective, the actual alcoholic strength , the 19 December 1974 on the approximation of the laws of the total alcoholic strength and the grape must density stated Member States relating to the making-up by volume of on the label must be made subject to the same rules certain prepackaged liquids (*), as last amended by throughout the Community ; Directive 88 / 316/ EEC ( 2); whereas the rules for indicating the nominal volume of the product in question on the label , should be specified; whereas, in order to enable products already put up in containers to be disposed of, it should be Whereas, in the interest of consumers, it should be stipulated that such products may not be sold or put . up for specified that the actual or total alcoholic strength stated sale after the expiry of the transitional periods referred to on the labelling is that determined by analysis ; whereas, for in the said Directive; the sake of simplicity, however, it should be possible for the figure expressing this alcoholic strength to be rounded off within certain limits; Whereas, the better to inform the consumer, in the case of bottling under contract, the words 'bottled for . should Whereas it is customary in Germany to indicate the density be followed by the name or business name of the bottler of grape musts in 'Oechsle degrees'; whereas, in the light of within the meaning of Article 4 of Commission Regulation this traditional practice, no further alignment with the (EEC) No 2202/ 89 of 20 July 1989 defining the terms Community system for measuring the density of grape must 'coupage', 'the turning into wine', 'bottler' and 'bottling' (3 ); is possible for the moment; whereas the transitional period whereas , further, if a Member State has provided, in the should therefore be extended until 31 August 1991 , during case of bottling under contract, that the name of the person which Germany may provide, in respect of grape must put into circulation on its territory, that the density should be expressed in Oechsle degrees; (») OJ No L 42 , 15 . 2. 1975 , p. 1 . Whereas, to prevent any abuse of the only optional terms ( 2 ) OJ No L 143 , 10 . 6 . 1988 , p. 26 . which are authorized, the cases where recommendations ( 3 ) OJ No L 209, 21 . 7 . 1989 , p. 31 . are permissible should be expressly stated ; 8 . 11 . 90 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 309/3 Whereas, to ensure that a recommendation regarding the down in this Regulation; whereas the terms in which such acceptability of a wine for religious purposes does not information may be given should also be indicated ; provide a pretext to use oenological practices that are not authorized by Community or national provisions, the conditions under which such a recommendation can be made should be clarified ; whereas these conditions should Whereas, having regard to the importance of indicating the take account of certain religious rites; residual sugar content for the description of wine, the use of the descriptive terms indicating the residual sugar content should have to conform to analytical criteria; Whereas , to ensure control and protection of table wines qualifying for description as 'Landwein', Vin de pays', Vino Whereas, where the object is to make a wine better known, tfpico', 'ovoiiaola KOT& nap&Sooii', 'oivoc; TO7UK6Q\ Vino information concerning the history of the wine in question, de la tierra' or 'vinho regional * and to provide accurate of the bottler's firm or of a firm belonging to a natural or information for the authorities